Mouth to Mouth Resuscitation
by Itavita
Summary: When Kid falls overboard during a battle with the Navy, he's saved by an unlikely creature. Warnings: Mentions of Drowning. Other than that, it's pretty tame. :)


Notes: Law's merman design is heavily based off rspixart's Merman Law art over on tumblr.

-O-

Muted cannon blasts could be heard high above the rolling ocean waves, the sounds of two enemy ships locked in battle out on the open seas. Law drifted along slowly under the surface of the icy waters, his golden eyes focusing on the two enormous shadows positioned above his head. His long, elegant tail cut through the water with ease, every flick of the appendage keeping the merman from sinking into the abyss. The moonlight that filtered down through the depths reflected off his deep blue scales and tail fin, offsetting them from the dark waters surrounding him. The bright golden streaks lining his caudal fin and upper body glittered in the soft light, the color a beautiful contrast to his tanned skin and inky black hair.

More booms from above the surface caught his attention, and Law watched as wood and ship debris plunged into the water with a violent splash. The shouts of the sailors sounded like mere murmurs to his ears, the noise muted by the water. The young merman was aware that humans tended to fight unnecessarily, but he didn't think he'd ever understand why they insisted on doing so out in the middle of nowhere. Didn't they realize that falling into the ocean at this time of night was akin to suicide? The moonlight only traveled so far into the deep, and even Law, who was made to survive beneath the waves, could only see a few meters into the gloom.

While he was tempted to rise and get a better view of the situation, Law knew better than to endanger himself like that. The merman had witnessed many nautical disputes over the years, and while they had always promised him an entertaining show, he'd stayed out of sight of the sailors aboard their ships. His people were strictly forbidden from interacting with humans, seeing as how they were hunted as rare prizes and sold to the highest bidder. It was better to remain safe and unseen than to risk exposure to capture.

Minutes passed as the humans fought, splintered wood, cannon balls, and other miscellaneous supplies continuing to pepper the water around him. Law batted away what came too close, intent on staying until the very end. Who knows, maybe he'd see an entire ship sink tonight.

His attention was stolen from his thoughts by an enormous splash. With a start, Law spotted the disturbance at the water's surface. It took a moment for the bubbles and sea foam to dissipate, but once the object became clear, the merman was shocked to see the figure of a human slowly sinking toward him. Eyes bulging, Law was frozen in place as the man came closer, his limbs oddly stiff and unmoving. Humans couldn't breathe under water, so why wasn't he trying to swim back to safety?

Curious, Law flicked his tail and swam closer to the other figure, gaze taking in his strange clothing and bright red hair. When he was near enough, Law reached out a hand and gripped what appeared to the man's coat, surprised at the odd feeling as the dark material slid through his fingertips. Was this weighing the human down? It certainly looked heavy, and seemed to be attached at the man's neck and shoulders. Still, you'd think he'd at least try to save himself.

Cautious and on the lookout for any movement, the creature rose higher until he was situated above the human. From this vantage point, he saw that the man was exceedingly pale and heavily built, his chest bare to the icy cold water while his lower body was clothed in oddly-printed pants and thick boots. His lips were a deep ebony, which was odd considering his lineage, and his nose had clearly been broken at least once in the past. He also wore a pair of large goggles on his forehead, one of the lenses sporting a tiny crack.

More surprising than his clothing and appearance, however, were his rust-colored eyes which were open and staring right at Law, the pupils blown wide from shock and the lack of light. The merman grew nervous, waiting for the human to make a move. He was awake, so he was either playing a trick or didn't know how to swim. The merman wasn't sure which answer was correct, so he chose the safest option and stayed out of arm's reach as he followed the human in his slow descent through the depths.

It wasn't long before Law noticed that the human was turning blue and his eyes were rolling back in his head. The redhead had neglected to move during this entire stint, which lead to one incredibly laughable conclusion to Law's earlier question.

The human couldn't swim.

Honestly, of all the stupid things to do - going sailing when you can't even swim. 'Humans.' He groaned inwardly.

Law rolled his own eyes and came closer, wrapping his arms around the human's torso and gripping him tightly. He knew what he was doing was frowned upon by...well...everyone, but he was in an incredibly good mood and didn't want it spoiled by being privy to the untimely demise of some idiot redhead. Expelling all the water from his mouth out through his nose, Law took a deep breath through his gills, filled his lungs with air, and brought his lips to those of his charge.

The first exchange of air was clumsy, the human close to unconsciousness and having no understanding of what was happening. However, when his wits returned and he realized that air was miraculously entering his lungs, he caught on and breathed deeply, falling into a rhythm with the merman. As one breathed in, the other breathed out, oxygen transferring from one to the other then back again, the returned carbon dioxide then released into the water via the merman's gills.

Law's golden gaze met the other's as clarity steadily came back to the human. He seemed confused at first, those dark eyes staring into Law's questioningly. The merman ignored him, too focused on the task at hand to care how the human felt about this entire situation. It was his own fault for falling into the water in the first place, the moron.

Law pumped his tail furiously in the water in an attempt to lift them both closer to the surface. It was taxing and difficult considering the human's dead weight, not to mention that most of the merman's concentration was focused on passing air to the drowning man. The two made slow progress, Law becoming considerably frustrated when the human continued to hang limply in his hold. Honestly, the least he could do was hold onto Law and kick his legs...

The merman slowly gained back some of the ground lost in the human's earlier plummet, his gaze locked with the other man's. The redhead no longer appeared confused, his eyelids drooping as he stared at Law dreamily. What the hell? Where did this sudden attitude come from? Humans were certainly weird.

It took a lot of effort and mouth-to-mouth contact before the two figures broke the surface of the water. Law's senses were overloaded by the sudden sound of battle, having completely ignored the cannon blasts and cries during his rescue attempt. He immediately released the human's lips, head tipping back and away from the man's face. The redhead didn't look as dopey as he had during their ascension, his gaze more focused and eyes alight with something Law couldn't identify. His hair lay flat against his head and fell over his goggles, the waterlogged strands a deep crimson hue.

Unsure about what to do, the merman turned his head and looked around, spotting the two battling ships close by. Eyes meeting the human's once more, he asked, "Which one is yours?"

The man tilted his head groggily toward the more garish of the two vessels, allowing himself to be dragged through the water by the merman toward the indicated ship. When they'd both reached the side of the ship farthest from cannon fire, the redhead yelled up toward the deck, making Law jump. "OI! Idiots! Get over here and save your captain!"

Moments later, two heads poked over the side of the ship, their mouths gaping open at the scene below. "Captain Kid, when did you fall overboard?!" one of them asked, his hair black and comically fashioned into long rabbit ears. His companion, a man with white dreadlocks and a Glasgow smile, added, "Who's that guy with you, Master?"

"Don't worry about it, just throw me a rope."

As his men scrambled to follow the order, the redhead met Law's gaze and smirked. "Would you mind tying that rope around me when they throw it down? I ate a Devil's Fruit, so I'm dead in the water," he explained, not even having the decency to look sheepish about it.

Law huffed indignantly. "Well, I suppose I might as well. I've already gone this far to save your sorry ass, what's a little more effort on my part?"

The redhead snorted out a quick laugh, distracted when his crew returned with rope in hand.

"Here you go, Captain!" Black-Haired Guy shouted, tossing one end of the rope down to the pair. "We tied it around the mast, so all we have to do is pull you up!"

"We have to hurry, Master!" Dreadlocks added, hair falling haphazardly around his face. "The navy isn't backing down, and we're getting hammered pretty hard right now."

"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya," the captain grumbled, watching as the merman worked to secure the rope around his torso. When the task was complete, the redhead ordered his men to start pulling. As they acknowledged his order and prepared to bring their captain back onboard, said man grinned down at his savior and leaned forward to put his face close to the other's.

"Thanks for the help, gorgeous," he said, stealing a quick kiss from the startled merman. Before Law could react, the human was dragged up and out of the water, that insufferable smirk never leaving his lips. The merman watched him disappear over the ship's railing, his lips turned down in a deep scowl. Cheeky human.

Law snorted and dove back under the waves, wondering why he'd bothered saving such an irritating man. 'Captain Kid, huh?' he mused, gliding gently along an ocean current and ignoring the ongoing battle behind him. 'If we ever meet again, I'll make sure you thank me properly.'


End file.
